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MHA Keystone Center Keeps Patient Safety Top-of-Mind for Providers

When lives are at stake, it’s important that health care providers are equipped with up-to-date, evidence-based information to help make decisions that uphold safety and quality of care.

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Keystone Center is a conduit for that knowledge throughout the state. Founded in 2003, the patient safety organization facilitates learning and educational opportunities for its member hospitals and health systems in Michigan and beyond.

These efforts have resulted in the advancement of the health and overall well-being of Michigan communities by reducing infections and harm, improving patient and staff safety, and significantly lowering health care costs.

By collaborating and sharing data, members help fuel sustained clinical improvements and have sparked a culture shift in Michigan hospitals. Since its inception, the MHA Keystone Center’s work and results have drawn national and international recognition and its methods and collaborative framework have been adopted in hospitals and health systems across the world.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been proud to support efforts to improve quality and safety of care throughout Michigan from 2006-2017. Together, this support helped achieve the following:

A 68 percent reduction in early elective deliveries since 2010.

A 10.5 percent decrease in severe maternal morbidity since 2015.

A 51 percent decrease in urinary catheter utilization since 2012.

A 15 percent reduction in C. diff since 2014.

A 30 percent reduction in surgical-site infections since 2015.

A 49 percent reduction in CAUTI events since 2012.

“Over its 16-year history, the MHA Keystone Center has evolved from checklists and hand-washing, which saved thousands of lives and millions of dollars, to leading hospitals in multiple states in comprehensive, culture-based quality improvement efforts,” said Brittany Bogan, executive director of the MHA Keystone Center and the MHA’s senior vice president of safety and quality. “We wouldn’t be on this journey to zero harm without the engagement of our members and their clinical and nonclinical employees – especially our physician and nurse leaders. In addition, the past financial support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, along with funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has made this work possible and we are grateful for their investments.”

This year the MHA is celebrating 100 years of leading health care. Blue Cross is a proud sponsor of the organization’s 100-year anniversary.